Odyssey House Journals

SHE’S WORKING WITH JAIL INMATES NOW. SHE USED TO BE ONE!

LeighAnn Marsh is one amazing woman. She spent 6 years in active addiction and is now helping others who made the same mistakes she did. After years of hard work on her recovery she now works in CATS, a drug treatment program run by Odyssey House in the Salt Lake County Jail.

HE ENTERED ODYSSEY HOUSE AS A TEEN. NOW HE’S CEO!

The amazing success story of Adam Cohen is featured in this week’s Odyssey House Journals. Under his watch Odyssey has grown into the largest behavioral health treatment program in Utah. He was a troubled teen and 22 years ago he graduated from Odyssey’s adolescent program.

31 YEARS AT ODYSSEY HOUSE! HE WAS ADDICTED TO THE PROGRAM

Glen Lambert touched the lives of thousands as Executive Director for more than 3 decades. On the 50th anniversary of Odyssey House of Utah, he looks back as the program grew from just a few clients to become what it is today, the largest behavioral health program in the state.

A GROUP OF RECOVERING HEROIN ADDICTS MOVE TO SALT LAKE CITY

They came from New York 50 years ago to start Odyssey House of Utah. Marty Blaustein came with them to be the first administrative director. He went on to become a prominent Utah attorney. He has some amazing stories to tell about those early years of Odyssey including an 8 hour interview to get the job. Watch a clip at the bottom as Marty talks about how the program struggled to survive, or you can catch the full podcast on Odyssey’s YouTube Channel by clicking on this link:

https://youtu.be/j5awL--fP_E

HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ODYSSEY CLIENTS 50 YEARS AGO

Gary Gingold came to Odyssey House of Utah when it first opened. He came from New York to deal with his heroin addiction and he has some amazing memories of what recovery was like back then and how the program has changed. He even got married in the first Odyssey residential house.

CAN TWO RECOVERING ADDICTS FIND HAPPINESS TOGETHER?

Most therapists will say it can be dangerous, but Chris Anderson is making it work. In this week’s Odyssey House Journals you’ll be shocked to find out who he’s in love with. He’s in long-term recovery, but the root cause of his addiction actually started at the age of 9.

LOCAL TATTOO ARTIST SAW THE LIGHT IN PRISON

David Mariscal served 26 years in prison after using drugs and committing crimes while he was in a Los Angeles gang. He’s been out for a few years, is happy and working as a tattoo artist in Salt Lake. “A light just switched in my head while I was in the hole.” Watch a clip at the bottom as David talk about his thinking when that happened, or you can catch the full podcast on Odyssey’s YouTube Channel by clicking on this link:

https://youtu.be/fr8oJjXBggo

7 REHABS LATER, WILL ODYSSEY HOUSE WORK FOR BONNY TERRY?

She grew up in a small Utah town, started using meth at 12, and was addicted by 9th grade. Bonny has battled mental health and substance use issues most of her life and is determined to recover at Odyssey House. She made a promise to her son.

HE WANTS HIS SON’S OVERDOSE DEATH TO HELP OTHERS FROM DYING

Dennis Cecchini has dedicated his life to making sure others don’t die as his son did. He found his 32-year-old son unconscious on the bathroom floor from an overdose. This was back in 2015 and he had never heard of naloxone which could have saved his son’s life. It’s an emotional interview.

WORKING ON THE RAILROAD ON COCAINE WAS TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE

Kevin Howe dealt with the horrible hours and working conditions on the railroad by using cocaine and that started years of addiction to amphetamines. He continued to use as he battled cancer and even managed to get his master’s degree until it all came crashing down.